How to write or update your will

Writing your will for the first time

Let’s face it, thinking about your own death can feel daunting. But writing a will and planning ahead can help you feel more in control. Wills are also a great way to look after your loved ones after you’re gone, and give them the peace of mind that they are making the right decisions and celebrating your life in the way that you would have wanted to be remembered. 

Here are some things to consider before writing your will for the first time:

• What – Create a list of all your assets. This can include financial assets (e.g. property, savings, valuables) as well as special objects you’d like to leave to your loved ones. If you are able to, work out a rough value for your total assets.
• Who – Decide who you want to inherit your assets (these are your beneficiaries) and who you would like to task with managing your will and assets after you’re gone (these are your executors). An executor can be someone you know well, or a hired professional like a solicitor or a financial advisor. Professional executors may charge a fee. 
• Where – Figure out where you want to store your will (this can be online, in a designated safe place in your home, or a solicitor’s office), and let your executors know about this
• How – Traditionally, writing a will through a solicitor can cost upwards of £100, with extra charges for updating your will. At CoppaFeel!, we want to make will writing accessible to everyone, which is why we’ve partnered with Farewill to give our supporters (you!) a chance to write your will for free. You can write your will with the help of Farewill’s legal experts in as little as just 15 minutes.

About your will

Wills are not just about your financial wishes. While it’s important to establish what you’d like to happen to your financial assets after you’re gone, writing a will also enables you to set out your wishes for guardianship of any dependents – this includes both children and beloved pets! 

You can include your funeral wishes in your will too. More and more people are choosing to plan their own funeral as part of writing their will. While this step is completely optional and not a legally binding part of a will, it can help your loved ones feel sure that they’re honoring your wishes, and provide much-needed comfort at a difficult time. Setting out your funeral plans can also prevent family disputes over your funeral and avoid unnecessary expenses when you are gone – for example, if your loved ones aren’t sure which coffin you’d prefer, they might go for the most expensive option to make sure they’ve done everything they can to give you a worthy celebration. 

You can choose your final resting place, how you want to be buried, what songs you want playing, as well as any special activities, performances or elements that will make the day feel right for you. If you’d like, you could even serve pina coladas or have a silent disco. It’s your celebration after all! 

Suggesting multiple options can help your loved ones make decisions, so even if your first choice isn’t available, they can still fulfill your wishes. 

Our friends over at Farewill have some really great resources on what to consider when setting out your funeral wishes.

Supporting a charity close to your heart. We understand that you will want to ensure your family are provided for first of all. However, we’d be grateful if you would consider leaving a gift in your will to CoppaFeel! from whatever is left once your loved ones have been taken care of. By remembering CoppaFeel! in your will, you’ll be part of our life-saving mission for many years to come, changing the story of breast cancer for future generations. 

Thank you for considering supporting CoppaFeel! in such a deeply meaningful way.

Updating your will

It’s important you update your will to reflect any big life changes. This can include welcoming a new family member, buying or selling a house, getting married or divorced, or if you’d like to change who will benefit from your will. Most people update their will every 3-5 years. Even if you’re satisfied with the main provisions in your will, you may want to make additional gifts. 

Farewill offer unlimited changes to your will – simply log back into your account and navigate to the section you’d like to update.

If you already have a traditional will and you’d like to make amendments, you’ll need to ask your solicitor to draw up a codicil for you and have two whitenesses present when you sign it. 

If you’re considering adding a legacy gift to CoppaFeel! into an existing will, thank you so much. Your kindness means the world to us, and will enable us to continue our life-saving work for many years to come and change the story for young people diagnosed with breast cancer. Here is some key information for you to share with your solicitor.

Let us know if you’re leaving a gift in your will to CoppaFeel!

Thank you for remembering CoppaFeel! in your will. Your kindness means the world to us, and we’d love to chat with you more about how we can celebrate your incredible legacy in your lifetime. If you’d like to leave a gift in your will, please reach out to Zsuzsi Kiss, our Individual Giving Manager on zsuzsi@coppafeel.org or 07796951592.